NEW DELHI: India has asked a United Nations military observer group on Kashmir to vacate a government-provided bungalow in New Delhi.
New Delhi considers Kashmir as an integral part of the country and has bristled against external involvement in the region including the UN Military Observers Group on India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
The Indian foreign ministry said on Tuesday the government had asked UNMOGIP to hand over the Delhi premises from where it was running a liaison office for more than four decades for free.
“We have said that as far as we are concerned the UNMOGIP has outlived its relevance,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.
UNMOGIP said it had received the request in May when India was in the midst of an election.
No reasons were given for vacating the office, Major Nicholas Diaz, in charge of the Delhi office said. He said the observers group would continue to operate in line with the UN mandate and that it was looking at alternative accommodation.
